- Dinofelis paleoonca
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Dinofelis paleoonca
Temporal range: Early Pliocene to Middle PleistoceneScientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Eutheria Superorder: Laurasiatheria Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Superfamily: Feloidea Family: Felidae Subfamily: Felinae Tribe: Metailurini Genus: Dinofelis Species: paleoonca Dinofelis paleoonca ("terrible cat") is a species of saber-toothed cats belonging to the tribe Metailurini of the family Felidae endemic to North America during the Pliocene living from 4.9—1.8 mya, existing for approximately 3.1 million years.[1]
Contents
Taxonomy
Dinofelis paleoonca was named by Meade (1945).[2] Its type locality is Meade's Quarry 11, which is in a Blancan terrestrial horizon in the Blanco Formation of Texas. It was recombined as Dinofelis palaeoonca by Kurten (1972), Hemmer (1973), Dalquest (1975), Kurten and Anderson (1980), Schultz (1990) and Werdelin and Lewis (2001).[3]
Morphology
Body mass
Two specimens were examined by Legendre and Roth for body mass The first specimen was estimated to have a weight of 31.4 kg (69 lb). The second was estimated to have a weight of 87.8 kg (190 lb).[4]
Fossil distribution
Three specimens were found in Texas and Washington.
References
- ^ PaleoBiology Database: Dinofelis paleoonca, basic info
- ^ G. E. Meade. 1945. University of Texas Publication 4401:509-556
- ^ L. Werdelin and M. E. Lewis. 2001. A revision of the genus Dinofelis (Mammalia: Felidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 132(2):147-258
- ^ S. Legendre and C. Roth. 1988. Correlation of carnassial tooth size and body weight in recent carnivores (Mammalia). Historical Biology 1(1):85-98
Categories:- Saber-toothed cats
- Prehistoric mammals of North America
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